Thought for the week - The Rev Pat Palmer

It’s been a delight over the past 10 months to watch as he’s turned from a small wrinkly baby, totally dependent on his mother, into a real little boy, with a mischievous smile and hearty chuckle.

When I reflect on this, I am reminded of some of the words from Psalm 139: ‘For it was you who formed my inmost parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.’ God the creator made each one us, with our own individual character, gifts and abilities, and has love for us all.

I’m looking forward to the coming months when, along with my husband, I will take on caring for Ignacio one day a week, when his mum returns to work.

I pray that I will be able to convey to him some of that love that God has for each one of us.

Comments

Buster Preciation
8:54am Mon 16 Jun 14

I have known fiends and members of my family who have lost children during pregnancy (sometimes very late in pregnancy) and there are many good people who lose young children to illness and disease. Indeed this is very common in countries less well developed than our own. If there is a God then he is responsible for that too.
I'm happy for Rev. Palmer. It's a shame her God doesn't have anything like my compassion.

I have known fiends and members of my family who have lost children during pregnancy (sometimes very late in pregnancy) and there are many good people who lose young children to illness and disease. Indeed this is very common in countries less well developed than our own. If there is a God then he is responsible for that too.
I'm happy for Rev. Palmer. It's a shame her God doesn't have anything like my compassion.Buster Preciation

I have known fiends and members of my family who have lost children during pregnancy (sometimes very late in pregnancy) and there are many good people who lose young children to illness and disease. Indeed this is very common in countries less well developed than our own. If there is a God then he is responsible for that too.
I'm happy for Rev. Palmer. It's a shame her God doesn't have anything like my compassion.

I am amazed that in this modern world otherwise intelligent, well educated people still believe in the concept of a god ...

I am amazed that in this modern world otherwise intelligent, well educated people still believe in the concept of a god ...Marina Morris

I am amazed that in this modern world otherwise intelligent, well educated people still believe in the concept of a god ...

Score: -2

robertspet8
4:17pm Thu 19 Jun 14

Marina Morris wrote…

I am amazed that in this modern world otherwise intelligent, well educated people still believe in the concept of a god ...

Perhaps these people are more intelligent than you suspect. Science keeps on finding answers to our questions, but every answer raises another hundred questions. I do not believe in God, but I nor do I believe science will ever answer the ultimate questions like, 'How?' or 'Why? are we here and 'Where?' or 'What' are we?. So it is convenient to invent a God to explain this.

[quote][p][bold]Marina Morris[/bold] wrote:
I am amazed that in this modern world otherwise intelligent, well educated people still believe in the concept of a god ...[/p][/quote]Perhaps these people are more intelligent than you suspect. Science keeps on finding answers to our questions, but every answer raises another hundred questions. I do not believe in God, but I nor do I believe science will ever answer the ultimate questions like, 'How?' or 'Why? are we here and 'Where?' or 'What' are we?. So it is convenient to invent a God to explain this.robertspet8

Marina Morris wrote…

I am amazed that in this modern world otherwise intelligent, well educated people still believe in the concept of a god ...

Perhaps these people are more intelligent than you suspect. Science keeps on finding answers to our questions, but every answer raises another hundred questions. I do not believe in God, but I nor do I believe science will ever answer the ultimate questions like, 'How?' or 'Why? are we here and 'Where?' or 'What' are we?. So it is convenient to invent a God to explain this.

Score: 4

JJ38JJ
8:50am Fri 20 Jun 14

Inventing a God to explain questions that you cannot find an answer to does not sound intelligent to me. The word I'd use is uncivilised.
Science has a very good record at explaining things that were previously unknown or attributed to a God and a good record at predicting things that are subsequently discovered.

Inventing a God to explain questions that you cannot find an answer to does not sound intelligent to me. The word I'd use is uncivilised.
Science has a very good record at explaining things that were previously unknown or attributed to a God and a good record at predicting things that are subsequently discovered.JJ38JJ

Inventing a God to explain questions that you cannot find an answer to does not sound intelligent to me. The word I'd use is uncivilised.
Science has a very good record at explaining things that were previously unknown or attributed to a God and a good record at predicting things that are subsequently discovered.

Score: -3

jonone
1:25pm Fri 20 Jun 14

"I pray that I will be able to convey to him some of that love that God has for each one of us"

Or you could let him grow up and have the freedom of making up his own mind, rather than brainwashing him now.

"I pray that I will be able to convey to him some of that love that God has for each one of us"
Or you could let him grow up and have the freedom of making up his own mind, rather than brainwashing him now.jonone

"I pray that I will be able to convey to him some of that love that God has for each one of us"

Or you could let him grow up and have the freedom of making up his own mind, rather than brainwashing him now.

Score: 6

Sam_Walker123456
4:17pm Fri 20 Jun 14

JJ38JJ wrote…

Inventing a God to explain questions that you cannot find an answer to does not sound intelligent to me. The word I'd use is uncivilised.
Science has a very good record at explaining things that were previously unknown or attributed to a God and a good record at predicting things that are subsequently discovered.

Far more intelligent than you or me! They have all bases covered: the existence of God explains everything, while science has hardly scratched the surface; we cannot prove that God does not exist; God takes the credit for everything which science discovers and man takes the blame for the missuse of these discoveries; and finally, the clincher, whenever challenged by something which questions the ethics or morals of God, back comes the answer that He works in mysterious ways.
You cannot argue with them - it is like trying to argue that the world is round when everyone 'knows' that it is flat. Fortunately science eventually overcame that one, but I cannot ever see it providing proof that God does not exist. So it is much more a leap of faith not to believe in God than it is to believe in Him. Non-belief does not provide any answers while belief supples all the answers.
Nevertheless, I do not believe in Him any more than He believes in me.

[quote][p][bold]JJ38JJ[/bold] wrote:
Inventing a God to explain questions that you cannot find an answer to does not sound intelligent to me. The word I'd use is uncivilised.
Science has a very good record at explaining things that were previously unknown or attributed to a God and a good record at predicting things that are subsequently discovered.[/p][/quote]Far more intelligent than you or me! They have all bases covered: the existence of God explains everything, while science has hardly scratched the surface; we cannot prove that God does not exist; God takes the credit for everything which science discovers and man takes the blame for the missuse of these discoveries; and finally, the clincher, whenever challenged by something which questions the ethics or morals of God, back comes the answer that He works in mysterious ways.
You cannot argue with them - it is like trying to argue that the world is round when everyone 'knows' that it is flat. Fortunately science eventually overcame that one, but I cannot ever see it providing proof that God does not exist. So it is much more a leap of faith not to believe in God than it is to believe in Him. Non-belief does not provide any answers while belief supples all the answers.
Nevertheless, I do not believe in Him any more than He believes in me.Sam_Walker123456

JJ38JJ wrote…

Inventing a God to explain questions that you cannot find an answer to does not sound intelligent to me. The word I'd use is uncivilised.
Science has a very good record at explaining things that were previously unknown or attributed to a God and a good record at predicting things that are subsequently discovered.

Far more intelligent than you or me! They have all bases covered: the existence of God explains everything, while science has hardly scratched the surface; we cannot prove that God does not exist; God takes the credit for everything which science discovers and man takes the blame for the missuse of these discoveries; and finally, the clincher, whenever challenged by something which questions the ethics or morals of God, back comes the answer that He works in mysterious ways.
You cannot argue with them - it is like trying to argue that the world is round when everyone 'knows' that it is flat. Fortunately science eventually overcame that one, but I cannot ever see it providing proof that God does not exist. So it is much more a leap of faith not to believe in God than it is to believe in Him. Non-belief does not provide any answers while belief supples all the answers.
Nevertheless, I do not believe in Him any more than He believes in me.

Score: 3

amacqueen
8:17pm Sun 22 Jun 14

Buster, you make an important point. Since my son lives with epilepsy and autism, I've had to face the same question.

The God I believe in *is* responsible both for Ignacio and other healthy babies, for my son, and the tragic losses among your friends and family. A universe in which we experienced no sadness and loss would be an over-the-rainbow fluffy fantasy world, and not one I want my kids to grow up in. God is not a puppet-master, interfering with his self-making world. God grieves with every grieving parent, and celebrates with every rejoicing one.

Or so it seems to me.

Buster, you make an important point. Since my son lives with epilepsy and autism, I've had to face the same question.
The God I believe in *is* responsible both for Ignacio and other healthy babies, for my son, and the tragic losses among your friends and family. A universe in which we experienced no sadness and loss would be an over-the-rainbow fluffy fantasy world, and not one I want my kids to grow up in. God is not a puppet-master, interfering with his self-making world. God grieves with every grieving parent, and celebrates with every rejoicing one.
Or so it seems to me.amacqueen

Buster, you make an important point. Since my son lives with epilepsy and autism, I've had to face the same question.

The God I believe in *is* responsible both for Ignacio and other healthy babies, for my son, and the tragic losses among your friends and family. A universe in which we experienced no sadness and loss would be an over-the-rainbow fluffy fantasy world, and not one I want my kids to grow up in. God is not a puppet-master, interfering with his self-making world. God grieves with every grieving parent, and celebrates with every rejoicing one.

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